a loner who loved to chat to strangers.
他這個人還真是矛盾——生性孤僻卻又喜歡和陌生人閒聊。
strain[streɪn]v.儘力；竭力；使勁
例 I strained my ears to catch what they were saying.
我豎起耳朵去聽他們在說些什麼。
rampant[ˈræmpənt]adj.蔓延的；猖獗的
例 Unemployment is now rampant in most of Europe.
在歐洲的大部分地區，失業問題難以控製。
語法知識點 Grammar Points
All that stirring of old instincts which at stated periods drives men out from the sounding cities to forest and plain to kill things by chemically propelled leaden pellets, the bloodlust, the joy to kill——all this was Buck’s, only it was in finitely more intimate.
“which”引導限製性定語從句，指代“instincts”。句子的主語為三個平行結構：All that stirring、the bloodlust和the joy to kill。
“at stated periods”在特定時期
例 Generally magazines come out at stated periods.
一般來說，雜誌定時出版。
There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise.
此句話為兩個小句子，連詞“and”連接。“that”引導限製性定語從句，代替“ecstasy”，“which”引導非限製性定語從句，代替“the summit of life”。
He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars and over the face of dead matter that did not move.
“in that”在這裡充當連詞，可以譯為“因為”。
例 There were some holes in that theory, some unanswered questions.
那個理論中有一些漏洞，一些問題沒有解答。
經典名句 Famous Classics
1. The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
最好的幫助應是自己的雙手。（求人不如求己。）
2. Don’t judge by appearance.
不可以貌取人。
3. Don’t praise the day until evening.
一日未儘，莫讚天晴。
4. The best smell is bread, the best savour salt, the best love that of children.
。甜最愛情的童兒，鮮最味滋的鹽食，香最味氣的包麵
.rettub dna daerb ruoy htiw lerrauq t’noD .5
。碗飯砸自要不
.gnitniap on sdeen efiw s’nam dnilb ehT .6
節章整完看查𝐰𝐭.𝐩𝐨𝐨到請
。妝化需不婆老的子瞎
.tserof a ekam ton seod eert enO .7
。林成不木獨
.dnal no peek tub ,aes eht esiarP .8
）。龍好公葉（。地陸在待卻，海大著美讚
.puc nedlog a ni semoc ti hguoht nosiop si nosioP .9
。藥毒是還藥毒，杯金入裝然縱
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